Aftermathh
authors: Teri, Stana, Ian
Date: Wed, 26 May 1999 22:49:34 EDT
* * *

"What did you do!?" Shinji demanded. He had heard Teri's
scream, and
feared the worst. The most awful thing though was that at
the same time he
relished in the sudden influx of raw energy. He hated
himself for it.

The Other didn't even turn to answer him. "I'm getting rid
of this thing once
and for all."

* * *
Clip Shone brilliantly bright against the encroaching
night. His head lifted
defiantly despite the hits he had taken. He was young for
his kind, but he
was fighting for all that youth was worth.

After escaping the near death experience at the hands of
that beast, the
Unicorn refused to allow distractions to permeate.  His
best use was to focus
here and now.

He would not die protecting mortals from their already
inevitable fate.

With a sharp thrust he plunged at the creature, hooves
slashing
wickedly into a tentacled feeler snaking his way. At the
same time he
snapped his head sharply to ward off another blow. Reddish
gas flowed,
stinging where it touched the fleeing Unicorn.

With an impatient snort he thrust himself at the beast,
trying again
for a severe blow. Again he was frustrated by the morphing
nature of the
enemy.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Shinji stood and raised his right arm. It flared to life
again, but this
time the black flames were dancing with red ones. He
clenched his fist,
and the fire condenced into a burning flare.

"Unicorn," he bellowed, "If your life means anything to
you, get back
now." He didn't wait for an answer. Vaulting high into the
air, he spun once,
then let freefall grab hold. He was coming down right on
top of the
creature.

Clip saw the glow of his hand as he fell, felt the power,
and jumped
back.

The monster wasn't as fortunate.

Shinji thrust his arm forward, and released the stored
energy that was a mix
of Teri's and his own. The energy crackled, then opened up
into a circular,
curved field beneath him. The monster's heads snapped up,
and Shinji smiled
as he saw realization dawn in it's semi-intelligent eyes.
It sent a few
of it's arms up, but they were dissintegrated as soon as
they touched the
barrier. A short, angry roar was all that was heard before
the
nightmare was crushed beneath a wave of controlled energy.

Shinji landed in a crouch in the center of a small crater.
The monster's
body had been burnt totally, and it's ashes were even now
being blown
away by a sudden gust of wind. rising up, he turned to face
the accusing
glares of Stana, Clip, and Emily, the later of whom was
busy helping Teri to
her feet.

Stana stepped forward, her fists clenched.

"What were you thinking?! You could have killed her!" she
snapped,
pointing at Teri.

Shinji looked at her impassively. "I killed it didn't I?"

Stana fumed. "That's not the point! You almost killed Teri
too!  How
could you take a risk like that, without knowledge, and
without her
consent?!"

Suddenly his face was full of scorn. "Listen to me," he
said slowly,his
voice brimming with barely restrained rage, "if I hadn't
done that she
and all of you would have been killed. I suggest that you
stop your useless
whinning and start walking. The longer we stay here the
better the
chance that another one of those," he pointed to the
various body parts of the
creature, "finds us again."

"You arrogant creep!" Stana began, but he had already begun
to walk
away. Stana took a deep breath, then another just to assure
herself
that it wasn't helping the red hot fury that was bathing
her in heat.
"What is wrong with you?!" she shouted after his retreating
back.

"Stana-" Emily began.

The girl turned and busied herself fussing over Teri and
the boy both. Teri
struggled to sit up, one bloodless hand pressed to her
forehead. Clip was
standing apart, attending to his own wounds and health.

"Ramdek" she asked "You said you know where the "tower" is.
How do you
know that is where we are going?"

"You told me!" he replied "When you three summoned me out.
You are
looking for the book of prophecy, hidden in the Nachtmer
tower. Noone
goes there, fearsome things live in there. Not the least
the Chaos
bringer."

"We summoned you?" Estela adsked.

"Chaos bringer?" Teri added.

"The unnameable." the boy added "The Element of Chaos,
banished here so
long ago. He sleeps, waiting for his release. The Book was
hidden by a
bunch of idiots that had forgotten that this was HIS
realm."

"Another Element.." Estela breathed, helping Teri to her
feet.

That didn't suprise Stana. Neither did the carelessness
over the prophecy.
Nothing would be easy, and of course inbreeding in the
S'kaaen Royalty was
bound to cause more snarls.

"Are you ready to lead us there?" Stana finally asked,
reluctance in her
tone. They'd deal with another elemental later-- right now
getting out of the
Nachtmer was the most important thing on her mind. "Is
there anything else
you can tell us?"

"Lots!" the boy answered."Folliow me!"

"Should we go on?" She asked Teri and Estela. "This is
getting really
dangerous. We've already been almost killed-Clip too.
Shinji is acting
psychotic-and there is only a child to lead us to a haunted
house with
its own supply of demonic hosts." She shook her head "This
isn't a
game, we can really die here."

Teri was silent, her skin pale and drawn.  At least she
wasn't unconscious,
she thought bitterly. Her thoughts kept being tugged in
Shinji's direction,
but the sensations she gleamed from him, especially now,
when she was burnt
nearly raw, were almost too much to bear. So cold, but she
burned. Like frost
bite. She shivered.

"Are you cold?" Emily asked, materializing a blanket.

"Thanks," Teri said softly. She had to get her thoughts in
order. Shinji had
shaken her more than she thought possible.